TRX...eat your heart out. Your business plans are on the ropes!
You want inexpensive, more affordable options for the suspension training goals? Why wouldn't you? Dips, and ab work. Push-ups and rows. Assisted single leg squats and lunges for the beginners....and tons more core work. You couple this sucker with some running, and you're going to be shedding fat and packing on muscle.
Welcome Taylor to the blogsphere my friends. He's more than happy to share how to obtain this awesome toy that is guaranteed to take you on a wild ride thru the definition of "intensity"
Check out his toy at http://tayloredmma.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-suspension.html
--The Walleye
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Intensity
I've written about 3 key elements. Work, nutrition, and rest. All 3 making up the progression we find in our physical bodies over times. Neglect any one of the trinity, and you will find a lack of health. Rest is easy. Nutrition, we'll see about in future blogs, but I want to break down this whole work topic in to two very simple components. The first is, intensity. This word has a very broad connotation. Think about your goals as a person looking to improve one's self. Most of us are not athletes. Most of us are training to live...be healthy...be a better me. What are your goals? Looking to lose weight? Put on more strength? Put on more balance/agility?
Intensity is defined by your objectives. In less than 5 years I want to lift competitively. That means I have a coordinated increase in weight or repetitions across a given expanse of time in order to achieve greater weight totals in the big 3 lifts (squat, dead lift, and bench press). Next year I have a friend who wants to run a marathon. He's already well conditioned, but he has a special 18 week course of running, rest, and nutrition that is built for him to shave weight, build endurance, and remain at his peak strength thru the time of the race and remain healthy. Again, a course of increasing "intensity".
Intensity is what you make of it. You want to be a part of the 8lb pink dumbbell crowd? Once you can press those dumbbells 50 times, try to cut down on the amount of time those 50 reps take. ManTis over at USAJG knows intensity. Doesn't look like he's working towards a max dead lift. Doesn't look like he's worried about his time in the 5k. But it does look like he ratcheting up that intensity every time out.
Remember Sir Kelvin. He stated that what can not be measured, can not be improved upon. Power is a simple equation between the amount of weight moved and the time it takes to move it. Either move more weight, or the same weight for a longer time, or do both in less time. Make sure to keep notes, and make sure to do it every time. Don't pump, and strut around in front of those full length mirrors. You're not built to be a model, but you are built to improve.
--The Walleye
Intensity is defined by your objectives. In less than 5 years I want to lift competitively. That means I have a coordinated increase in weight or repetitions across a given expanse of time in order to achieve greater weight totals in the big 3 lifts (squat, dead lift, and bench press). Next year I have a friend who wants to run a marathon. He's already well conditioned, but he has a special 18 week course of running, rest, and nutrition that is built for him to shave weight, build endurance, and remain at his peak strength thru the time of the race and remain healthy. Again, a course of increasing "intensity".
Intensity is what you make of it. You want to be a part of the 8lb pink dumbbell crowd? Once you can press those dumbbells 50 times, try to cut down on the amount of time those 50 reps take. ManTis over at USAJG knows intensity. Doesn't look like he's working towards a max dead lift. Doesn't look like he's worried about his time in the 5k. But it does look like he ratcheting up that intensity every time out.
Remember Sir Kelvin. He stated that what can not be measured, can not be improved upon. Power is a simple equation between the amount of weight moved and the time it takes to move it. Either move more weight, or the same weight for a longer time, or do both in less time. Make sure to keep notes, and make sure to do it every time. Don't pump, and strut around in front of those full length mirrors. You're not built to be a model, but you are built to improve.
--The Walleye
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Not feeling great, but always feeling better after a workout
I've had some horrible days this week with only a couple nights that let me sleep well from dusk till dawn.
No energy. Light headed. Down right grouchy.
After a day wasted on this Sunday...nothing but sleeping and eating...Taylor showed up. He was packing his new DIY TRX suspension trainer system. Every other Sunday he's at my house.. Normally...it's all about slinging iron like "they" won't let him do at his regular gym. Tonight was to be different. Tonight was special. We packed up his $35 chunk of craziness and some cones to mark some points out on the playground at my local school. 1/2mile job got us their. We hooked up the TRX like suspension bands and "body weight" became the "counter weight" that drove us to our limits. Just wait! Taylor is on his way with his own posting so I won't steal his thunder about how you too can have a $200 TRX system for $35...but I know I've got all the components in my basement and I'm ready to put it all together for my very own. Stay tuned, and you'll see the link to his page soon.
Don't forget we jogged back to my place. Hard and heavy neck work...deadlifts....and more neck work (shrugs). Topped it all off with heavy grip work with things like Captains of Crush grippers, Thor's Hammer, and personal favorite, hub grip work on leftover jars of protein shake mix filled with concrete. (Secret DIY idea embedded here).
Good night for those who like to work it hard. Ready for a new week of personal records and exploring the world of The Free Fitness Movement (FMM)???? Check back soon.
---The Walleye
No energy. Light headed. Down right grouchy.
After a day wasted on this Sunday...nothing but sleeping and eating...Taylor showed up. He was packing his new DIY TRX suspension trainer system. Every other Sunday he's at my house.. Normally...it's all about slinging iron like "they" won't let him do at his regular gym. Tonight was to be different. Tonight was special. We packed up his $35 chunk of craziness and some cones to mark some points out on the playground at my local school. 1/2mile job got us their. We hooked up the TRX like suspension bands and "body weight" became the "counter weight" that drove us to our limits. Just wait! Taylor is on his way with his own posting so I won't steal his thunder about how you too can have a $200 TRX system for $35...but I know I've got all the components in my basement and I'm ready to put it all together for my very own. Stay tuned, and you'll see the link to his page soon.
Don't forget we jogged back to my place. Hard and heavy neck work...deadlifts....and more neck work (shrugs). Topped it all off with heavy grip work with things like Captains of Crush grippers, Thor's Hammer, and personal favorite, hub grip work on leftover jars of protein shake mix filled with concrete. (Secret DIY idea embedded here).
Good night for those who like to work it hard. Ready for a new week of personal records and exploring the world of The Free Fitness Movement (FMM)???? Check back soon.
---The Walleye
DIY Eggs
I once made a comment that I wouldn't have too much to say about nutrition on my blog. Unfortunately, the more I persist on staying on this road I routinely find myself reminding my peers of one very valuable lesson. Good health (in it's physical attrition) is simply put as Work, Nutrition, and Rest. Rest is easy. Get 8hrs if and at all possible....if your body wants more....give it to it if you can afford it. Work is fun, and that's what I would prefer to talk about. Work, in and of itself is easy to define and will be the purpose of a soon, probably lengthy posting. But, I keep finding myself advising on nutritional issues more than any other.
I love to cook. I keep it simple, hopefully nutritious and tasty. I am the man who is absolutely notorious for eating damn near anything for breakfast. In my defense, since it has been drilled in my head for so long, this breakfast meal is the most valuable meal of the day, and why not? A steak and salad? Sure. Pasta in a thick and creamy sauce? Yes. Leftovers are god when you're talking breakfast. But here's the rub.....sometimes you can mix traditionally American Breakfast ingredients and some ethnic ingredients and enjoy one heck of a great meal.
The more I talk about cooking, the more I realize that this might be the area in which I am most valuable, so here's the first recipe of this blog.
huevos revela desde las páginas
(eggs revealed from the pages)
First gleaned from a Men's Health article, I found it took way too long to make. Here's a quick breakfast recipe in a modified version. This recipe is filling. This recipe of flavorful. This recipe if simple.
Remember!!!! Always experiment. Real cooking is about using a ton of ingredients sparsely, but with maximum receptiveness. We all cook for the most important crowd, our families.
Get a skillet hot (medium heat) and ready. While it is warming, take some canned black beans and remove them from the can. Put them in a strainer (or similar device) and strain thoroughly under running water. Basically...rinse the factory off. Dump the beans in a bowl, and just cover with tap water. Microwave 1-2 minutes at a time until you reach 3-4 minutes for the total cooking time. In other words, make sure they are almost, if not, soft. You're gonna mash 'em...so don't be too picky. When they come out, add a couple teaspoons of cumin and a couple of tablespoons of lime juice (I use the cheap bottle you find on the juice aisle at your local wally world) and mash with a fork until it looks like re-fried beans. T'Da!!! Super nutritious refried beans in less than 5 minutes and minus the salt and other crap that we need not want in our diets. If you're making this for 1, make sure to package half of that can of beans in water in a sealed container in the fridge..
That skillet that's been heating for a while now (since you've been doing nothing but watching the rotisserie in your microwave go round and round for the last 4 minutes) is ready to sear some small tortillas on both sides. Use flour or corn tortillas. Use either butter or olive oil. Your choice....again, it's all about what you like. I like the olive oil and corn tortilla combo. Get 'em browned on both sides and set them off to the side on a plate (2 per serving). Layer on a fair bit of those homemade refried beans (1/4 can per tortilla). Top with a fried egg on each tortilla. Add some guacamole and/or salsa...hell....go crazy with some sour cream and you've got a breakfast that will keep you from being hungry till that last night time meal. Simple. Full of fiber. Crazy amounts of protein. A warrior's meal. If you add up the $2 for beans, the $1 for eggs, tortillas and spices...this represents and $3 investments for only 2 meals. Count your bucks and please....tell me you got something better in this genre of meal.
I love to cook. I keep it simple, hopefully nutritious and tasty. I am the man who is absolutely notorious for eating damn near anything for breakfast. In my defense, since it has been drilled in my head for so long, this breakfast meal is the most valuable meal of the day, and why not? A steak and salad? Sure. Pasta in a thick and creamy sauce? Yes. Leftovers are god when you're talking breakfast. But here's the rub.....sometimes you can mix traditionally American Breakfast ingredients and some ethnic ingredients and enjoy one heck of a great meal.
The more I talk about cooking, the more I realize that this might be the area in which I am most valuable, so here's the first recipe of this blog.
huevos revela desde las páginas
(eggs revealed from the pages)
First gleaned from a Men's Health article, I found it took way too long to make. Here's a quick breakfast recipe in a modified version. This recipe is filling. This recipe of flavorful. This recipe if simple.
Remember!!!! Always experiment. Real cooking is about using a ton of ingredients sparsely, but with maximum receptiveness. We all cook for the most important crowd, our families.
Get a skillet hot (medium heat) and ready. While it is warming, take some canned black beans and remove them from the can. Put them in a strainer (or similar device) and strain thoroughly under running water. Basically...rinse the factory off. Dump the beans in a bowl, and just cover with tap water. Microwave 1-2 minutes at a time until you reach 3-4 minutes for the total cooking time. In other words, make sure they are almost, if not, soft. You're gonna mash 'em...so don't be too picky. When they come out, add a couple teaspoons of cumin and a couple of tablespoons of lime juice (I use the cheap bottle you find on the juice aisle at your local wally world) and mash with a fork until it looks like re-fried beans. T'Da!!! Super nutritious refried beans in less than 5 minutes and minus the salt and other crap that we need not want in our diets. If you're making this for 1, make sure to package half of that can of beans in water in a sealed container in the fridge..
That skillet that's been heating for a while now (since you've been doing nothing but watching the rotisserie in your microwave go round and round for the last 4 minutes) is ready to sear some small tortillas on both sides. Use flour or corn tortillas. Use either butter or olive oil. Your choice....again, it's all about what you like. I like the olive oil and corn tortilla combo. Get 'em browned on both sides and set them off to the side on a plate (2 per serving). Layer on a fair bit of those homemade refried beans (1/4 can per tortilla). Top with a fried egg on each tortilla. Add some guacamole and/or salsa...hell....go crazy with some sour cream and you've got a breakfast that will keep you from being hungry till that last night time meal. Simple. Full of fiber. Crazy amounts of protein. A warrior's meal. If you add up the $2 for beans, the $1 for eggs, tortillas and spices...this represents and $3 investments for only 2 meals. Count your bucks and please....tell me you got something better in this genre of meal.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
PVC
Oh how I love fiddling around with PVC pipe. So many great things can be made.
A couple years ago, I went thru my old components left over from when I completely re-plumbed my house and found a 4ft length of 2" pipe and two caps that were left over. I filled that with sand from the local hardware store ($1 worth) and I had basically built a "technique bar". It weighs in around 11lbs and of course has a fatter grip than a normal oly bar and who doesn't love that??? It's just the right length so if my hands are butted up against the caps on either end, it's snatch grip time.
Anyways, with everyone's busy schedule, we didn't hit the group workout Tuesday night. But here's what I did at home.
Jumping jacks and high knees for warmup
Then I made a move that went like this....
Used that 2" PVC pipe and picked it up like a deadlift off the ground....then once upright, rowed it up to my chin. This is being done with a close grip. Now back down, and then back up. I did this in tabata intervals along with "mountain climbers", and hitting the heavy bag (misc jabs, crosses, uppers cuts and elbows).
If you don't know what a mountain climber is....I found this neat gif, thanks to http://tudefitness.blogspot.com
For us guys, I recommend wearing longer shorts than what this guy has on, but that's up to you.
A couple years ago, I went thru my old components left over from when I completely re-plumbed my house and found a 4ft length of 2" pipe and two caps that were left over. I filled that with sand from the local hardware store ($1 worth) and I had basically built a "technique bar". It weighs in around 11lbs and of course has a fatter grip than a normal oly bar and who doesn't love that??? It's just the right length so if my hands are butted up against the caps on either end, it's snatch grip time.
Anyways, with everyone's busy schedule, we didn't hit the group workout Tuesday night. But here's what I did at home.
Jumping jacks and high knees for warmup
Then I made a move that went like this....
Used that 2" PVC pipe and picked it up like a deadlift off the ground....then once upright, rowed it up to my chin. This is being done with a close grip. Now back down, and then back up. I did this in tabata intervals along with "mountain climbers", and hitting the heavy bag (misc jabs, crosses, uppers cuts and elbows).
If you don't know what a mountain climber is....I found this neat gif, thanks to http://tudefitness.blogspot.com
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday Happenings
This week has been a tour de force in weight training....one shovel full at a time. Finally got my gravel in to re do my drive way. It's 120ft long, and 15ft wide, and I've got 2 tons of gravel to make it look better than when I bought this little chateau in the country. The problem....the guy who got me the rock on the cheap, had to send the mini bull dozer he's had for the last month back to his brother in law. Now I'm moving it wheel barrel full after wheel barrel full. The weather is perfect. Cool climate, light breeze, and no rain to turn my 2 tons of gravel in to 3 tons of gravel.
Still hit it hard with CrazyLegs and Taylor Thursday night. BeanTown is definitely down for the next month or two with the hernia.
Simple tabata to start. 4 stations equaling a total of 2 minutes (20seconds on and 10 seconds off) to go thru all 4 and complete a round. 5 rounds total.
Station 1 - 8lb sledge to the tractor tire
Station 2 - renegade rows plus push-up with 25lb dumbbells
Station 3 - 50lb bag of sand across the shoulders with a mix of lunges and squats
Station 4 - Jumping jacks
20 minutes of Calli and Muay Thai
And for fun, we ended with some festivus style feats of strength. 25lb dumbbell thrown for distance 1.) like a bowling ball, 2.) like a basketball style 2 handed chest pass, and 3.) straight up in the air for height off of a shoulder press move. Good times...bragging rights probably went to me, but it would be up to the other two to dispute me given our less than scientific measurement. I'll put it like this. We're officially calling the game "Divots". Plyometric Explosions would be more like it.
Still hit it hard with CrazyLegs and Taylor Thursday night. BeanTown is definitely down for the next month or two with the hernia.
Simple tabata to start. 4 stations equaling a total of 2 minutes (20seconds on and 10 seconds off) to go thru all 4 and complete a round. 5 rounds total.
Station 1 - 8lb sledge to the tractor tire
Station 2 - renegade rows plus push-up with 25lb dumbbells
Station 3 - 50lb bag of sand across the shoulders with a mix of lunges and squats
Station 4 - Jumping jacks
20 minutes of Calli and Muay Thai
And for fun, we ended with some festivus style feats of strength. 25lb dumbbell thrown for distance 1.) like a bowling ball, 2.) like a basketball style 2 handed chest pass, and 3.) straight up in the air for height off of a shoulder press move. Good times...bragging rights probably went to me, but it would be up to the other two to dispute me given our less than scientific measurement. I'll put it like this. We're officially calling the game "Divots". Plyometric Explosions would be more like it.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Updates
We've got a member down with a hernia....BeanTown, guess the treadmill wasn't enough to get him ready for the Movement. I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he can.
I even brought up stenciling "Hernia Maker" on the tire.
But that doesn't seem fair to the ridiculous hill and dragging 100+ pounds of weighted sled up it.
I'm a bigger fan of random chunks of concrete and the sledge hammers that brought them to us....more of those on the next picture posting.
Tonight, it was fat-bar barbell rows, high rep & high weight squats, plus running the rack on incline dumbbell presses.
Don't forget the Walleye's looking to shed fat, so tabata round of going crazy on the heavy bag, then the swiss ball, then the airdyne, followed by a quick blast of jumping jacks. That's one round. Give that a few rounds and be intense about it, let me know what you think.
I even brought up stenciling "Hernia Maker" on the tire.
I'm a bigger fan of random chunks of concrete and the sledge hammers that brought them to us....more of those on the next picture posting.
Tonight, it was fat-bar barbell rows, high rep & high weight squats, plus running the rack on incline dumbbell presses.
Don't forget the Walleye's looking to shed fat, so tabata round of going crazy on the heavy bag, then the swiss ball, then the airdyne, followed by a quick blast of jumping jacks. That's one round. Give that a few rounds and be intense about it, let me know what you think.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)